Pittsburgh mayoral candidate to plead guilty to DUI

A self-described community activist running an underdog campaign for Pittsburgh mayor says he plans to plead guilty to driving under the influence, just hours after denying that he was drunk and claiming his arrest was a setup.

A.J. Richardson, 36, admitted Wednesday night during a debate among mayoral candidates at Pitt's O'Hara Student Center that he had been drinking and shouldn't have been behind the wheel. He then excused himself to spend time in prayer with his family.

When Channel 4 Action News' Kelly Brennan asked Richardson why he apologized after claiming it was a targeted attack and that he did nothing wrong, Richardson said he still believes it was an attack, but that he admits to being wrong.

Richardson, 36, was arrested early Wednesday in Pittsburgh's West End and charged with driving under the influence. Police say they found him slumped over the wheel of his green minivan that was stopped on Steuben Street with the engine still running at about 3 a.m.

"This is a weak, feeble attempt to discredit me as a strong candidate for the mayoral election, this is all it is," he told reporters while leaving the Municipal Courts Building on Wednesday afternoon. "People have been dropping into my phones. They’ve been following me, just those type of things."

The Sheraden man denied being drunk and said allegations that he was passed out were a "total lie."

"I wasn’t asleep. I was up. I was. They wanted me to … I went through the whole touching your nose and all that, and that’s difficult for me to do now, you know what I mean?" said Richardson. "Then they was trying to find something with my registration. They was looking for something."

According to the criminal complaint, Richardson refused a blood test and "became verbally hostile stating that he was going to be mayor, repeatedly."

"I knew the officer. This is what I’m saying (that) this was a strategic attack on A.J. Richardson. This is what it's about. I know the officer. I met him before. I talked to him roughly 45 minutes to an hour before. Me and my wife both encouraged him, gave him that strength, that moral support of dealing with the day-to-days of a law enforcement official in the city of Pittsburgh," said Richardson.

Richardson said he spent two hours with his campaign manager coming up with a game plan in his bid for mayor. When questioned as to whether he had been drinking, Richardson told reporters, "I was not intoxicated, that’s all I’m saying."

Richardson said he was remaining in the mayoral race because God is on his side.

"Come on, look who I am. I’m a black man that cares about people, his communities, all communities. An average man that believes everyone deserves a fair chance. I represent something here," said Richardson. "People say, 'You know what, you may not win, A.J.,' but you know what? I already won. The city of Pittsburgh already won. Everyone can get involved."

Richardson, whose full name is Abdula Jamal Richardson, is running as a Democrat in the May primary. He lists his occupation as school bus monitor.

When asked if he thought if someone charged with DUI could still run for mayor, Richardson winked and said, "Wait and see (because) I'm still running."

As he left the building, he told reporters, "Gotta love this city. This is another issue I gotta fix that I will fix as mayor."